Shveta and Vinitashva

The boar next told prithivi about various rituals that are appropriate for worshipping Vishnu. The twelfth day (dvadashi) of the lunar fortnight in the month of Kartika is particularly auspicious for this purpose. So are the days of lunar eclipses.

“But do not forget to gift some rice on the occasion,” warned the boar. “Otherwise, your predicament will be no different from that of Shveta and Vinitashva.”

Shveta was the king of Ilavritavarsha. He performed numerous sacrifices and gifted a lot of jewels, gold, horses and elephants. His priest Vashishtha did advise him to donate some rice as well, but Shveta did not take this advice seriously.

When Shveta died, he went to heaven as a result of all the good deeds he had performed on earth. He roamed the bright celestial worlds and associated with apsaras (dancers of heaven). He got a lot of good food to eat, but he never got any rice. Shveta’s craving for rice became unbearable. He returned to the earth and to the place where his funeral ceremony had been performed. The ashes were still on the funeral pyre and Shveta began to lick these remains so as to assuage his craving.

One day, Vashishtha happened to come there and witnessed the pathetic sight. He explained to Shveta how this was a consequence of his never having donated any rice. How could he hope to obtain after death what he had never given to others? Vashishtha also told Shveta the story of Vinitashva